Sault Ste. Marie, MI - The Lakers men's and women's track teams traveled to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI last weekend to take part in the 2022 GLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Both teams had strong showings in both the running events and the field events. 

On the womens' side, the ladies took 9th of 10 teams, edging the Ferris State Bulldogs by half of a point. Leading the Lakers was Jenna Fleming, throwing 45.38m, coming just a meter and half short of the GLIAC record. She scored 10 of the women's 17 total points in the event. Other points were scored by Jayda Williams in the triple jump, where she placed 7th to take two points, and the long jump, where she placed 6th for three points. Her five points were joined by an 8th place finish from Breanyl Baker in the long jump, scoring one point. The 400m relay team of Kara Mosher, Williams, Baker, and Sofia Salazar, took 8th to score another point. 

On the mens' side, the points were evenly earned from both field events and running events. They also defeated Ferris State to take 7th of 8 teams, scoring 29 points over Ferris' 10. In the field events, Noah Murray excelled, scoring 3 points in pole vault with a 6th place finish, as well as scoring 2 points in both long jump and triple jump with two 7th place finishes, for a total of 7 points. He was joined in both jumps by Riley Traver, who took 8th in both events, scoring one point from each, for a total of two. Ryan Reiniche threw the discus and had a 10-inch best to take 6th place, scoring three points. In the running events, David Mitter ended his collegiate career with a 3rd place finish in the men's steeplechase to score six points. Andrew Giddens also scored six points, four from a 5th place finish in the 110m high hurdles, and two from a 7th place finish in the 400m hurdles. Both the men's relays scored as well, with the 400m relay team of Riley Nichols, Giddens, Murray, and Michael Sherman taking 6th for three points, and the 1600m relay team of Sherman, Roy Bowman, Ryan O'Neill, and Giddens taking 7th place for two points - running under 3:30.00 for the first time since early April of 2021. The Lakers' 29 points marks the first time the men have scored over 20 points since 2017, and the most points they've scored in over a decade. 

The Lakers ended the year with many season bests and personal bests, and look to improve upon them within the next year.